Government

U.S. Rep. Mick Mulvaney campaigned with U.S. Sen. Tim Scott over the weekend, telling about 100 supporters at an Indian Land fundraiser that his opponent, Fran Person, is an unknown quantity to most Fifth District voters.
“The guy has raised almost a million dollars. Nobody knows who he is, not even any Democrats around here know who he is, but he’s sitting on a giant stash of money,” said Mulvaney, a three-term Republican. “We expect to see all of that money dumped into negative ad campaigns in the last 30 days.”

Need to pay your Lancaster utility bill, report a mammoth pothole, apply for a city job or scope out festival details?
There’s now an app for that.
City IT director Jarvis Driggers presented the Red Rose City’s new mobile app at Tuesday’s city council meeting.
“This is a living and breathing app,” Driggers said. “This app’s going to change. It’s going to change daily, weekly and monthly, and it’s going to change to the events and what’s going on in the city at the time.”

The Lancaster County Council voted Monday night to place the on-again, off-again Avondale development ordinance back on the agenda for its Sept. 26 meeting.
Support is coming from those who previously opposed the 189-acre mixed-use development, located between Calvin Hall and Harrisburg roads.
The flip-flop of support comes from frustrated residents in Indian Land who see the development’s offer as their only chance for road and traffic improvements.

The town of Kershaw will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. Thursday about the town council’s decision last month to cut down four 100-year-old oak trees at the intersection of North Matson and East Marion streets.
Kershaw mayor Mark Dorman called the trees a sticky subject.
“This is something town officials clearly see both sides of,” Dorman said. “We’re supposed to represent all our citizens, which is why we need their input before going forward.”

COLUMBIA – Rep. Mandy Powers Norrell of Lancaster is among 14 S.C. House members on a special tax-reform committee appointed Tuesday by House Speaker Jay Lucas.
Norrell, a Democrat whose 44th District includes Lancaster, Heath Springs and Kershaw, will serve on the bipartisan panel, which will review the S.C. tax code and make recommendations to Lucas for changes before the next legislative session.

Public concerns over the county’s new Unified Development Ordinance and Official Zoning Map has resulted in at least another month being added to the already 19-month-long rewriting process for the UDO.
More than 75 people, most from the Elgin community, attended the UDO public hearing Tuesday night to voice their concerns about the ordinance’s Environmental Hazardous Overlay District, which they fear will restrict their land use. Many addressed the Planning Commission during the citizens’ comments portion in the four-hour meeting.

A two-month-long effort by the Lancaster Police Department to get pay raises for nine mid-level and senior officers has been rejected by Lancaster City Council.
City employees from other departments turned out in force at Tuesday night’s council meeting, arguing that if the officers got raises, all other city workers should get raises too. After a long executive session to discuss the matter, council voted 5-2 against the police pay hikes.

Lancaster County Council approved second reading of a tax-incentive package for internet marketing firm Red Ventures and an affiliated real estate company that would save the businesses an estimated $25.6 million in taxes over 30 years.
The incentive matter, one of several on the agenda for local companies, prompted discussion of a longstanding, yet rarely collected county tax on properties once zoned agricultural.

Eight candidates, including two challengers, filed for Lancaster County school board and Lancaster City Council before filing closed Friday at noon.
Three seats are open on both the school board and city council, with one contested race in each.School board
Lorenzo Small will challenge incumbent Tyrom Faulkner for the District 2 seat.
Small, who is running for the first time, said he looks forward to having an opportunity to provide new insight to the school board.

In a reversal of the usual script, a dozen passionate citizens urged the Lancaster County Council to raise their taxes at Monday night’s council meeting.
The taxpayers showed up to support the proposed 2 percent hospitality tax to fund a centrally-located county sports complex with a gym, walking and cycling trails, and fields for baseball, soccer and football.